HOUSTON—Halliburton Co. said Thursday that it was searching for a 7-inch tube containing radioactive material that went missing in West Texas earlier this week.

The company said it "strongly cautions members of the public that if they locate this source, they should not touch or handle it, stay a minimum of 25 feet away" and contact local law enforcement or Halliburton's emergency hotline.

The stainless-steel tube, used in the measuring and evaluating of conditions within oil and gas wells, was discovered missing on Tuesday en route between two well sites located near Pecos and Odessa, Texas, the company said. The cities are about 78 miles apart. The area has seen a renaissance in oil-production activity in recent years, triggered by high oil prices and hydraulic fracturing technology.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Halliburton's oil-and-gas crew realized the device was missing when they arrived at the well south of Odessa and noticed the protective shielding where it is usually stored wasn't locked.

Teams are combing the route between the two well sites searching for the tube, which is marked with the words "DANGER RADIOACTIVE" as well as a radiation warning symbol, Halliburton said. The company is offering a reward for information about the tube's whereabouts.

Halliburton said it has notified Texas health officials, local law enforcement and state highway patrol, and is working with authorities.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said the device isn't considered highly radioactive, but "could expose someone who comes in close contact with it for an extended period of time to a harmful dose of radiation." The department also said it was requesting support from the Texas National Guard.

stonedstooge

09-14-2012, 08:28 PM

Wow. Finding it would be greater than stumbling upon a 5 cent bottle back in the old days

Mi_chief_fan

09-14-2012, 08:30 PM

Greatest. Story. EVER!

BigMeatballDave

09-14-2012, 08:36 PM

Doesn't Clay's dad work for Haliburton?

notorious

09-14-2012, 08:45 PM

They will figure out where it's at when 6 legged coyotes begin to appear.

Psyko Tek

09-14-2012, 08:52 PM

my gawd this is how daredevil and the teenage mutant ninja turtles got started
so in Tejas would be here hold my beer man and teenage mutant armadillos?

notorious

09-14-2012, 08:53 PM

Honestly, if one were to lose radioactive material, that is probably the best place. There is NOTHING out there.

Rain Man

09-14-2012, 08:57 PM

I'm most interested in learning how it happened. Presumably you had a guy in a semi, and you had this tube sitting in the back. Now, given the 25-foot radius in the article, it seems like this thing would've had to be in some sort of big lead box or something. It doesn't seem like they'd just throw it in the back of a trailer. So how did it get out of the big lead box?

And how did it get out of the truck? Did they leave it sitting on the back bumper or something? Did they set it on the roof when they were getting in? I'm having trouble coming up with any sort of plausible scenario.

RJ

09-14-2012, 09:56 PM

Doh!!!

Inmem58

09-14-2012, 10:00 PM

Lame

Baconeater

09-14-2012, 11:36 PM

I'm most interested in learning how it happened. Presumably you had a guy in a semi, and you had this tube sitting in the back. Now, given the 25-foot radius in the article, it seems like this thing would've had to be in some sort of big lead box or something. It doesn't seem like they'd just throw it in the back of a trailer. So how did it get out of the big lead box?

And how did it get out of the truck? Did they leave it sitting on the back bumper or something? Did they set it on the roof when they were getting in? I'm having trouble coming up with any sort of plausible scenario.
I'd go with left in on the roof. Happens to me all the time when I'm out measuring and evaluating of conditions within oil and gas wells.

KChiefer

09-15-2012, 03:23 AM

Cheney's heart.?.?

Zebedee DuBois

09-15-2012, 08:03 AM

LMAOCheney's heart.?.?

Buehler445

09-15-2012, 08:09 AM

That's pretty crazy. There is a lot of radioactive shit in those oil wells. Crazy shit.

bevischief

09-15-2012, 08:15 AM

West Texas is like North Dakota no one lives there.

MahiMike

09-15-2012, 10:56 AM

huh! I thought Haliburton just drove empty trucks in IRAQ and billed the government $100K a pop?

Radar Chief

09-15-2012, 11:16 AM

Doh!!!

That's what I thought the punch line was going to be.

Radar Chief

09-15-2012, 11:17 AM

West Texas is like North Dakota no one lives there.

Oh, people live there. Strange ones, but they're there.

Numbah One

09-15-2012, 11:29 AM

Doesn't Clay's dad work for Haliburton?

Yes. I asked him about this.

Tens of thousands of these rods are used frequently in the oil business, so one being lost every once in awhile is bound to happen. It's sheer odds.

Hog Farmer

09-15-2012, 12:30 PM

I'll bet some Iranian took it. Where's Frankie ?

BossChief

09-15-2012, 01:43 PM

I'll bet some Iranian took it. Where's Frankie ?

OH SHIT. HE NOW HAS THE MEANS TO DEAL WITH THAT ONE POSTER!!!

WATCH OUT, THAT ONE POSTER!!! FRANKIE IS ON HIS WAY TO DEAL WITH YOU WITH THIS THINGAMABOB.

saphojunkie

09-15-2012, 03:02 PM

I fucking love this. "Stay a minimum of 25 feet away! You know... from that SEVEN INCH tube that you're going to easily spot in the middle of west Texas. Good job, hawk eyes."

Rain Man

09-15-2012, 08:46 PM

Yes. I asked him about this.

Tens of thousands of these rods are used frequently in the oil business, so one being lost every once in awhile is bound to happen. It's sheer odds.

So do they look for them or do they just whistle and walk away?

Cornstock

09-15-2012, 09:35 PM

I figure they could just drive up and down the shoulder with a geiger counter and be able to find it right? You couldn't drive too fast or it wouldn't register, but if you just putt along the thing should start to tick?